Israel”s powerful Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted Sunday to back legislation which would make it easier to impose the death penalty on terrorists who murder Israeli citizens.
The bill, drafted by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, would allow a court to impose the death penalty with a majority ruling, rather than a unanimous decision, and would limit the avenues for reducing the sentence once it has been finalized.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation agreed that after its preliminary vote, the bill will go to the security cabinet for deliberations.
“On this difficult day, when two Israeli citizens were killed in a Palestinian terror attack, there is nothing more symbolic than passing the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit).
“This is a moral law, and it is only fair that it should exist not only in the world”s largest democracy, but also in the country facing a wave of terrorism against its citizens.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel “will continue to operate with all means available, with security, with operational activities, and with legislation, in order to deter terrorists and to maintain the security of Israel. Our response to terror is to strike back against terror with strength and deepen our roots in our land.”